The film is budgeted at $20 million with Michael Taylor and Drew Craig of MME Executive Producing.Â The deal was brokered by Starz Animation’s EVP Jeff Young.Â The script was penned by Connor Pritchard (co-creator of the new Comedy Central series Workaholics).

According to Taylor, “Coming off the tremendous job that Starz Animation Toronto did on the hit CG animated feature film Gnomeo and Juliet, they were undeniably the place to go for world class production talent and experience to execute on such an internationally known and beloved property like Oz.” Young adds, “We’re thrilled to now step into the producing role and maximize the strength of our studio on all levels.” Young continued, “Creatively, the OZ3D project is hilarious, perfect for the modern audience and at the same time is respectful of the underlying material.”

President of Gigapix Studios, David Pritchard commented, “Working with Starz Animation and MME gives us an unparalleled combination of creative talent and executive experience that provides an excellent foundation for building a long lasting relationship to create and produce high quality animation for OZ3D as well as other projects to come.”

Worldwide distribution for the film will be handled by MME. MME and Gigapix have entered into a US representation agreement with Gigapix Studios’ distribution company, Gigapix Releasing, securing through its newly formed P&A fund, a minimum commitment of $10MM for a theatrical release on a minimum 1,000 screens.

Starz Animation’s Rob Silvestri will be directing. Previously Rob created and directed the multiple award-winning animated short Ormie and worked extensively on Gnomeo & Juliet and the Tim Burton produced animated film 9.